


Fit for a King

by sunshineforthesoul



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, Cinderella AU, Isshu-chihou | Unova, IsshuShipping - Freeform, M/M, Not Beta Read, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Tags May Change, adding tags as I go
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-03
Updated: 2019-03-24
Packaged: 2019-07-06 03:53:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 19,001
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15877989
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunshineforthesoul/pseuds/sunshineforthesoul
Summary: Tragedy strikes N's home, leaving him under the care of his evil step-father Ghetsis Harmonia, and two older step-sisters, who fear their ‘father’ just as much as he does. N, though his life is miserable, continues to fuel the hope that one day, things will get better.At the other edge of the kingdom, Prince Touya is tasked with finding a suitable partner, while battling his fears about being king.





	1. A House but Not a Home

**Author's Note:**

> I've been sitting on this idea for a while now, and I finally sat down and created enough of a plan to actually start it. I have to balance this, the bw2 fanfic I'm working on, and school, so I'm warning you now: _this will get updated very slowly._
> 
> I hope you all like this! I really feel like there's something special here.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Once upon a time, there was a young boy named N, who had the ability to speak to Pokémon.

Once upon a time, there was a young boy named N.

N was a special boy, for he had the ability to speak to Pokémon. He was kind to all, and his innocent and pure heart was recognized by all Pokémon he met. He lived with his parents in a beautiful home at the edge of the kingdom, and every week, N and his parents would dress up and go to the theater to watch a Pokémon musical.

N’s father taught him to read, and they spent long hours in the library together, reading story after story. N would climb into his father’s lap, enveloped by the soft velvet of his father’s reading chair and the glow of the fireplace, and let himself be carried into faraway lands full of magic and wonder and light. 

N’s mother taught him how to cook and bake. Together they made countless dishes, both savory and sweet, and N found a love for the precision and delicacy of measuring and mixing ingredients. Every year on their birthdays, N would bake a new kind of dessert, and they’d sit together, making wishes and blowing out candles.

Their house sat next to a forest, and N grew up surrounded by Pokémon, both his family’s and wild ones. He developed a deep bond with them, and many of the wild Pokémon took up residence in his house. His parents treated Pokémon with respect, and encouraged N to do the same.

One day, N walked into his father’s office to find him lying on the floor, unconscious. They sent for the town doctor, who informed them that N’s father was very sick, and there was very little he could do. N and his mother could only watch, helpless, as N’s father got sicker and sicker, until he was too weak to even sit up in bed.

On his deathbed, he called N to his side. 

“N, my son,” he said. “My advice to you is this: be kind and respectful, always. Remember that I love you very much. Take care of your mother for me.”

* * *

Shortly after his father’s untimely death, his mother married a man named Ghetsis, who had two adopted daughters. N remembered sitting at the top of the stairs, seeing Ghetsis standing in the foyer, pointed cane in one hand, the girls on either side of him. They did not speak much, casting fearful glances at their father, and N suddenly got a feeling that things were only going to get worse.

And worsen they did.

Not even a year later, Ghetsis and N’s mother went into the market, where N’s mother was killed in an accident, leaving him under the guardianship of Ghetsis. 

Ghetsis, who had been cordial in the beginning, finally revealed his inner self: a harsh, cruel man only concerned with himself. He made N into a personal servant, forced to attend to his and his daughters’ every whim. Any trace of N’s childhood was locked away and stored in the attic, collecting dust as time dragged on.

His older ‘sisters’, Anthea and Concordia, rarely showed any sympathy toward him, though they seemed to act a certain way out of fear of their father. They occasionally did small gestures of kindness for N, such as making his work load lighter, or leaving him bits of their meals when he came to collect their dishes, claiming they were too full to finish.

Over the years, the home that had radiated warmth and light transformed into a house of cold darkness. N labored under the watchful eyes of both Ghetsis and his Hydreigon, Lucifer. Despite the abuse he suffered, mostly at the hands of his step-father, he remained a gentle, intelligent soul. 

He dreamed that one day, in a miraculous turn of events, someone, somehow, would rescue him from this living nightmare.

* * *

N groaned as the curtains were yanked back, the morning sun shining directly on his face. 

_“Time to get up!”_ Zorua barked, letting go of the curtains. _“You don’t want to be late.”_

When there was no response, Zorua jumped up onto the bed, tackling N. _“Get up N! You have to start your chores!”_

“I know,” N replied, his voice muffled by his pillow. He rolled over, staring up at the bare wooden ceiling. “I was having a lovely dream, though I only remember little snippets. A hand, leading me in a dance. A palace, alive with music and people. A giant, white clock tower.” A faint smile fluttered across his face. 

Zorua headbutted him in the stomach.

“Ow! Hey! That kinda hurt!”

 _“Sorry N, but you gotta get going or Ghetsis will have a fit.”_ The little black Pokémon shuddered at the thought. 

N knew exactly what Zorua was talking about. If he made any mistake, no matter how minor or insignificant, he would receive an earful about the importance of perfection and precision. Best case scenario was verbal assault, though it all depended on Ghetsis’ mood.

N slid out of bed, flinching at the chilly floor underneath his feet. He dressed, clipping his cubic puzzle to the chain on his pants, one of the few things he had to remind him of his blissful past. 

He made his way down the endless flights of stairs into the kitchen. Ghetsis had moved N into a small room at the top of a tower connected to the house. He tossed a couple of logs into the dying embers of the fire from the previous night, then set about making tea for the sleeping residents. 

The sun peeked over the forest, meaning N had to work fast. He retrieved a bag of Pokémon food from the cabinet, and slipped out the back door. As he walked around the backyard, he sprinkled the food in the dewy grass, so the wandering wild Pokémon would have something to snack on. He returned to the kitchen and started breakfast, when the first bell rang. The second and third followed close behind.

Within a few minutes, N had three trays of tea and breakfast stacked on top of each other, something he’d mastered after years of carrying them, and carefully made his way up the grand staircase. 

Anthea’s room was first. She opened the door as N reached the top of the stairs, and he entered her room. He placed the tray down on her bedside table.

“I need my laundry washed. And ironed after it’s dry.” Her commands came in short bursts. “I expect it back before lunch.”

“Yes, Anthea,” N said, pushing her laundry basket out of the room with his foot. 

Next up was Concordia. He knocked on her door, listening for her “Come in”, before entering. He set down her tray on her bedside table, turning around to wait for her orders.

“I have some clothes that need mending,” Concordia said, gesturing to the basket sitting next to her closet doors. “I need them before the end of today.”

“Yes, Concordia.” 

With two baskets of clothes in the hallway, and a tray in one hand, N braced himself for the next room. He knocked twice, the sound empty and dull. 

“Enter.”

The door creaked as N opened it. Darkness blanketed the room, as the curtains still hung closed, and Ghetsis sat up in his bed, propped up by a mass of pillows. Lucifer laid on his plush bed, tucked in one of the far corners of the room. Ghetsis eyed the boy as he approached the bed, sliding the tray onto the bedside table. 

Ghetsis stared at N while he stirred cream into his tea. “You’re late.”

N glanced at the clock on Ghetsis’ table. “By one minute—”

“Silence,” Ghetsis hissed. “I could’ve thrown you out of this house, left you begging on the streets with that little mutt of yours.”

“Zorua’s not a—”

“Don’t talk back to me!” N flinched. “Now, I was kind and gracious enough to let you stay here with that beast. All I ask is that you assist this family in the maintenance of this house, and to do so without any problems. Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes.” 

“Excuse me?”

“Yes sir.”

“Good. Now, what’s on your list today?” Ghetsis sipped his tea. “I would like you to dust the bookshelves in the library, wash all the windows, sweep the stairs, mop the floor, polish the grandfather clock. Oh, and do the laundry, water the flowers, and trim the bushes.” 

“Yes sir.”

N turned to leave, but stopped when he heard Ghetsis’ final remark.

“One more thing. I would like for you to give Lucifer a bath.”

N’s heart sank. The rest of his chores, while unpleasant, were at least manageable, by the loosest definition. This particular task straddled a line of being unpleasant and dangerous, as Lucifer's ill-tempered nature mimicked his owner. He especially did not like baths, and N knew he was in for a rough day. 

“N? Did you hear me?” 

He swallowed hard, not turning around to face his step-father. “Yes sir. I understand.”

* * *

“There you are!” Bianca’s shrill voice rang out. 

Touya looked over his shoulder to see his personal maid marching towards him, a stern expression on her red face. 

“I’ve been looking everywhere for you! Your mother wants to speak to you.”

Touya didn’t move.

“Now, your Highness.”

He frowned. He didn’t like it when she called him that. It made him feel like she was a stranger, not someone who had practically raised him. “Bianca, I told you not to call me that.”

“Well sometimes it’s the only way to get your attention,” Bianca huffed. She swiveled her head around, taking in their surroundings. “What are you doing out here?”

The young prince shrugged. “I like to walk in the gardens, surrounded by flowers, no clear end in sight.” He changed the subject, not wanting Bianca to chastise him for daydreaming again. “I had a wonderful dream last night.”

Bianca’s green eyes lit up. “Ooh! Do share!” She grabbed his arm, guiding him back towards the castle.

“I don’t remember all of it. But I know I was dancing with someone. And there were glittering lights, and we walked around the garden. I felt… happy.”

“Aww!” Bianca cooed, eyes gooey with joy. “You know, they say that dreams are wishes your heart makes. I wonder what wish your heart was making.”

They reached the entrance to the castle.

“In you go, Prince. Your mother’s waiting for you in the throne room.”

* * *

The castle was famous for its immaculate beauty, though Touya found the black and white swirled marble to be a little bland. He stared at the vibrant red carpet stretching before him, one of the only splashes of color in the entire castle. Composed entirely of stained glass, the back wall of the room depicted the guardians of Unova, Reshiram and Zekrom. His mother, Queen Luciana, sat in her throne, smiling as her son neared. 

Though Touya would not describe his mother as openly affectionate, she was far from a bad mother. As he grew older, he came to understand the nature of how his mother showed her love for her children. She was a good ruler, fair and merciful, and had to maintain the respect of those she ruled over. Bound by strict expectations, she did not have total freedom to act as she pleased. As a result, Bianca was entrusted with being the loving, motherly figure in her children's lives.

“Hello Touya,” she greeted, rising from her throne. Her movements were smooth and graceful; she seemed to glide around. “How are you?”

“I’m well Mother. I was just taking a nice stroll in the garden. It’s beautiful this time of year.” The words felt stiff, and Touya wished he didn’t have to speak to his own mother the same way he spoke to the special guests that sometimes visited. 

“It is.” She met Touya at the bottom of the steps leading up to the thrones. “Will you walk with me?”

They walked along the corridors in a comfortable silence. It was times like this that Touya wondered what his mother would’ve been like, had they grown up in a normal house. 

“Touya?” His mother said, pulling him out of his wandering thoughts.

“Y-yes?”

“I asked if Bianca told you that I had something to discuss with you.”

“O-oh. Yes, she did.”

A serious expression replaced her smile. “You are almost nineteen. Traditionally, when you turned seventeen, we would have begun looking for a potential spouse, so you would be married by your eighteenth birthday. However, I knew that wasn’t what you wanted, so I decided against it.” They stopped in front of a giant statue of Reshiram. “I do not want to trouble you, but I cannot delay this any longer.” She took his hands in hers, squeezing them softly. “Everything you do reflects upon the kingdom, and I fear that pushing off an engagement would only create nasty rumors.”

Touya’s heart skipped a beat. Of course he wanted the kingdom to succeed, but he also didn’t want to rush into a marriage without being sure he was in love. 

He cleared his throat. “Mother.”

“Yes, my son?” 

“The thing is… Well it’s just that… you see…” Touya took a deep breath, his resolve shaking. _No,_ he thought. _I have to tell her._ “I want to marry for love, not because the Royal Courts say I have to.”

He held his breath as he searched her face for any emotion, any reaction, anything at all. His anxiety melted away as he saw warmth and tenderness in her face. 

“And I want you to fall in love too.” Her luminous blue eyes sparkled with wistful happiness. “That is why I think we should hold a ball, and invite all the young men and women in the kingdom to come. You’ll have a chance to meet and interact with them, and hopefully, the Dark Stone will react to someone. Someone that you like.”

Tradition in Unova stated that each guardian Pokémon, Reshiram and Zekrom, chose someone they deemed worthy to be a ruler. They worked together to ensure the rulers would bring the kingdom prosperity and life. 

Queen Luciana leveled her gaze with his. “You were chosen by Reshiram to be the Ruler of Truth, just as I was. Now, it is time for Zekrom to choose the Ruler of Ideals.”


	2. A Spark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “It’s just that I… I want to marry for love.” Touya’s grip on his pillow tightened. “I don’t want it to be for show, or for some political gain. I want romance and passion, like in all the storybooks.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> happy halloween! guess who's finally back!! 
> 
> first of all, i'd like to thank everyone for waiting patiently for my return. i was super stressed for the months of september and october, but i think things will be better now. i'd like to just say now, that i apologize if there's any weird/choppy writing, i haven't written literally in like two months, so i'm gonna be easing back into it. 
> 
> i'm excited because i've got lots of ideas and things i want to do with this story, and the more i think about it, the more i love it.

Touya walked back to his room, after the chat with his mother. He closed the doors behind him, and let out a long sigh.

“What’d Mom want to talk to you about?”

Touya jumped, turning around to see his younger sister, Princess Touko, laying on his bed, popping Cheri berries in her mouth.

“Touko! What are you doing in my room?!”

She sat up, dangling her legs over the edge of his bed. Her appearance mirrored their mother’s almost completely. Their similarities teetered on the verge of unsettling, though the resemblance stopped on a superficial level. Sassy and mischievous, Touko reminded him of a Purrloin, a Pokémon known for its impish nature. She enjoyed testing the patience of everyone in the castle, pushing the limits on what she could get away with. 

Once, Touya had asked if she was upset that he’d been chosen by one of the guardians and not her.

“Are you kidding me?” she’d laughed. “Am I jealous about not having to sit in a chair all day and sign documents or whatever and be responsible for the wellbeing of the kingdom, so if anything goes wrong, the people blame you and then rebel and burn down the palace in a blaze of glory? Absolutely not.”

Though she’d been teasing him, her comment had actually made Touya even more anxious about being king. He’d be under a lot of pressure all the time, and he feared there’d be people waiting for him to make a mistake, so they could swoop in and declare him unfit for the throne. 

Touko’s lips turned up in a lopsided grin, eyes shimmering. “I heard Mom wanted to talk to you, and I’m a nosy sister, so here we are.”

Touya rolled his eyes, knowing it was useless to withhold anything from her. “If you must know, she wants me to get engaged.”

“Ooh la la. We might finally have some excitement in this place.” She leaned in close to his face, a playful smirk dancing on her lips. “So, what’s the plan?” she asked, as if they were discussing some top secret operation. 

“She’s going to throw a ball, and invite everyone in the kingdom.”

“So like a celebration of the Dragon Guardians?”

Touya nodded.

“You’re getting engaged?!” Bianca burst through the door. 

“Bianca! Were you eavesdropping?” Touya sputtered, his cheeks burning.

“I’m sorry, Touya! I just happened to be passing by, and I heard you two talking and I couldn’t help myself!” She smiled. “My little Touya, all grown up and getting ready for marriage.”

Right on cue, the Grand Duke Cheren, her husband and also their trusted advisor, knocked on the open door, before entering the room. 

“Cheren! Have you heard the news?” Bianca said. “Prince Touya is gonna get engaged!” 

Touya groaned, burying his face in a pillow. Touko’s grin widened, becoming Sharpedo-like. 

“It’s about time,” Cheren replied, pushing his glasses up his nose bridge. “I thought the Grand Court was going to throw a fit when we told them no again last year.”

“Oh Cheren!” Bianca wagged her finger at him, exasperated. “Cut him some slack. He wants to find a good partner, considering not only will he spend the rest of his life with them, but also they must lead in harmony.”

Again, the thought of his looming future made Touya’s stomach twist. If a giant hole opened up in the ground and swallowed him right about now, he’d be fine with it.

“Touya? Are you alright?” Bianca asked. “What’s the matter? You’re not as enthusiastic as I thought you’d be.”

Touya lifted his head enough that he could peer out at the room. He had an audience consisting of his wild little sister, his overbearing but good-hearted maid, and his loyal, but pragmatic advisor. Great.

“It’s just that I… I want to marry for love.” Touya’s grip on his pillow tightened. “I don’t want it to be for show, or for some political gain. I want romance and passion, like in all the storybooks.”

“Maybe Zekrom should’ve chosen you as the Prince of Ideals,” Touko joked.

“Touya,” Bianca began, “are you worried that the guardians will pick someone who isn’t right for you? In the entire history of Unova, they’ve never placed someone on the throne who wasn’t meant to be.”

 _There’s a first time for everything._ “I-I know. I don’t doubt they’ll choose someone good.” 

“Well, what kind of person would you want to marry, if there were no external pressures or royal obligations?”

Luckily, this was a topic that Touya often came back to during his long walks. “Someone who is thoughtful and kind, who loves people and Pokémon alike. If they’re a thoughtful person, then that should translate over as a ruler, right?”

Bianca sniffled. “Aw that’s so sweet!” Her eyes glistened with fresh tears.

Cheren nodded. “I believe you have good priorities.” His eyes traveled to Bianca, and the faintest smile flickered on his lips. “Kindness is a treasure that never loses its value.”

“Ugh it’s getting too mushy-gushy in here for me,” Touko said, hopping off the bed. “I’m going to persuade the Striaton Triplets to make me a really good sandwich. See ya!” She gave them a lazy salute, then sashayed out of the room. 

“Why don’t you go talk with Reshiram?” Bianca suggested. “The last time I saw it, it was in the Zen Garden.” 

A weak smile found its way to Touya’s lips. “Okay.”

He set off to find the white dragon, nervous energy coursing through him with every step. He had no idea who he was going to meet at the ball, or if Zekrom would even find anyone worthy. But he could, at the very least, get some advice from the Pokémon of Truth itself.

* * *

“Owch! Lucifer!” N gasped, as the three-headed dragon nipped at him. 

_“I hate baths.”_

“I know you do but—hey stop that!—I don’t really have a choice!” 

Suds flew out of the small “tub”, as Lucifer repeatedly tried to fly away. N had to use the same bucket from when Lucifer was just a baby Deino, since Ghetsis did not feel the need to get a bigger one. N gritted his teeth and kept scrubbing. If Lucifer would just hold still…

 _“Don’t touch me!”_ he roared, recoiling as N brushed his abdomen. His voice exploded with rage, but N detected a hint of pain as well.

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to.”

_“You should be more careful, you clumsy imbecile.”_

Lucifer flared his nostrils, but kept his attacks to a minimum while N rinsed off all the soap. Once the bubbles were washed away, N noticed an angry looking wound in the same spot he had brushed. It looked suspiciously like the tapered end of Ghetsis’ cane had been jabbed into his stomach. 

_“What are you looking at?”_ Lucifer snapped. _“Dry me off so I can escape your loathsome presence.”_

“Harsh,” N mumbled, though he obeyed. “All right, you’re all done.”

 _“Finally.”_ Lucifer spread his wings, drenching N with the leftover water, and took off back to the house. 

N watched him go, pity gripping his heart. He knew Ghetsis used to beat Lucifer while he was growing, but he had no idea it still happened. He blew out a long breath, and pushed the wooden bucket over, letting the water soak into the grass.

One of the last things he had to do was mop the floor. He hummed while he worked, letting his mind wander back to his dream. He grasped for any details he could remember, though the dream had all but disappeared.

In the front room, he heard Anthea playing the grand piano. Ghetsis required all of his ‘children’ to be useful in his eyes, to have some skill that made them worth keeping around. Concordia proved herself to be a talented seamstress, though not for anything that needed fixing in the house. Ghetsis reserved that duty for N.

N moved into the front room, nudging the bucket of soapy water along with his foot. He caught a glimpse of Anthea’s swift fingers sweeping across the keys. How such bright children grew up under Ghetsis, N could not fathom. Another sound joined the piano music: Anthea singing quietly, her voice rich and hypnotic.

“A dream is a wish your heart makes / When you’re fast asleep / In dreams you will lose your heartaches / Whatever you wish for, you keep. // Have faith in your dreams and someday / Your rainbow will come smiling through / No matter how your heart is grieving / If you keep on believing / The dream that you wish will come true.”

Her voice drifted off, carried by the piano picking up the melody. The music floated throughout the house, and for the first time since his parents’ deaths, N felt a scintilla of what had been. 

A jumbled, off-key chord interrupted his mopping. He glanced over his shoulder to see Anthea staring at him, eyes wide. He waited for her to say something, as he wasn’t supposed to speak unless spoken to. 

“Were you listening?” she said in a hushed whisper.

N nodded. 

She whipped her head around. “Don’t tell Ghetsis,” she ordered, as if N had even conceived of such an idea. “He hates it when I sing.”

“But… why?”

“He says only instruments should produce music, to minimize the amount of human imperfection contaminating the music.”

N wanted to tell her how beautiful her voice was, but he was unable to get the words out. Instead, they piled up in the back of his throat, like an itch he couldn’t scratch. 

“Anthea?” The deep voice echoed from elsewhere in the house, a warning that he’d noticed the absence of music. 

Anthea drew in a sharp breath. “Go, before he comes out,” she hissed, and resumed playing piano. Though she picked up where she’d left off, the melody sounded overcast, a shadow of gloom spotting the once sunny skies.

* * *

_“Greetings, young prince.”_

Touya walked up and stood in line with Reshiram. The white dragon did not turn to him, keeping its eyes on the pond filled with various Water-type Pokémon. 

Touya looked down at the rippling water. The Poliwags were his favorite, twisting and paddling amongst the numerous other Pokémon. He watched a Horsea blowing bubbles with a Goldeen, and envied their carefree lives. 

For a long time, neither one of them said anything. The water lapped against the walls of the pond, and the gentle buzzing of the Combee and Cutiefly pollinating the flowers sounded through the air.

_“You’re anxious again.”_

“Yeah,” Touya sighed. “I know I shouldn’t worry, because it’s up to you and Zekrom, but… Not that I mean any disrespect,” he added quickly. 

_“I know your intentions are not to offend either one of us,"_ Reshiram said, its tone gentle and encouraging. _“I would like you to tell me, though, exactly what it is that troubles you, if you can identify it yourself.”_

“I…Well, uh…” 

Reshiram cocked its head at him, its intelligent, patient eyes regarding him.

Touya dropped his gaze back to the pond. “The truth is… I’m afraid that perhaps _I’m_ not quite suitable to be king. And if I’m not a good king, then whoever Zekrom chooses won’t be good because I’m not.”

Reshiram considered Touya’s confession. _“Do you know why I chose your mother to be queen?”_

Touya shook his head, puzzled by this seemingly out of place question.

_“She grew up a Royal, inside this very castle. Although she was waited on hand and foot, she believed in the dignity of every single person, no matter who they are. She wanted to treat everyone fairly and with respect, and began to secretly visit the town, to see the kingdom that served her family. She spoke with the townspeople, and listened to their frustrations, their worries, and their hopes, and concluded that the only way to rule properly and effectively was to walk among the common people and see the kingdom through their eyes._

_“What this showed me was her compassion for others. She’d been able to break through the bubble of her luxurious life and seek out the truth of what life was like for those less fortunate than her. The kindness in her heart moved me such that I burst forth from the Light Stone and declared her the next queen of Unova.”_

It leaned forward, lowering its head until it was almost eye-level with him. _“Touya, you must understand; I see that same kindness in you.”_

“You… you do?”

Reshiram nodded once, raising its head back to its full height. _“That is why I chose you. You have her passion and sense of right and wrong. And I can feel someone out there whose benign spirit matches yours. Zekrom does as well. It speaks to me from the Dark Stone. We both look forward to this celebration, for we believe the one we seek will be there.”_ Its tail glowed, enveloping Touya in its soothing, radiant heat. _“It is Zekrom’s vow, and mine, that we will not let you down.”_

Touya returned to the castle, his steps considerably lighter. Though he still didn’t quite have a clear vision of what was to come, he felt assured that he could handle it. 

“Prince Touya, I’ve been instructed to let you know that I will be distributing the invitations tomorrow,” Cheren stated, stopping Touya as he passed by.

“Thank you, Cheren,” Touya dipped his head, not looking Cheren in the eye. “Um, I’ve got something I have to take care of, if you don’t mind.”

Cheren looked as if he wanted to ask questions, but Touya kept walking. Right now, he needed Touko’s help.


	3. Royal Visitors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ghetsis smiled, though there was no warmth in it. “Well, I see no reason why you can’t go.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (hahhha it's been more or less two months since i've updated this work)
> 
> i know this is kinda late but happy new year! can't believe it's already 2019. my main focus now will be on finishing this work. the thing that sucks for me is that i have so many things i want to write and publish, but i know i'd just get overwhelmed if i have more than one WIP posted, so my rule is i'm gonna go one work at a time (there might be some exceptions occasionally)
> 
> sorry for how long it took me to update this but i'm glad to say that i can focus on this one now, because i really like this fic.
> 
> thanks for your patience!
> 
> also, for this story, all the summaries are going to be quotes from the chapter. i feel like it gives the work a more storybook feel. idk, in my head it makes sense

“Well, well, well, what do we have here?” Touko grinned, crossing her arms. “You must be trying to do something naughty if you’ve come to see me.” 

Touya looked around, checking to see if there were any servants hovering about. “I just need you to help me get out of the palace early tomorrow morning.”

One of her perfect eyebrows raised. “Why do you want to leave?”

“I need to see the town without the whole entourage of guards and everything. I just need to not be royal for a while.” 

Touko’s expression didn’t change. She seemed to be mulling it over.

“Touko please.”

The princess’ thoughtful look turned into an amused half smile. “Relax, your Highness.” She rolled her eyes, still smiling. “Of course I’ll help you.”

“Really? Oh, thank you—”

“But you have to promise me one thing.”

“What is it?”

“That if you find your true love at this ball, you won’t run away or hide or overthink things. You’ll listen to your heart and not be afraid.”

The fierceness in her eyes surprised him, like blue flames ignited by her determination. 

Touya nodded. “I promise.”

At once, the flames in her eyes disappeared, replaced by the tranquil waters of the ocean. “Good. Now leave me be. I’m not a fan of getting up early.” She shook her head. “The sacrifices I make for you,” she said, turning and disappearing down the hallway.

* * *

She woke him before the sun had risen, so they’d have darkness to help cover them. She led him down to the library, and pressed a button that was hidden underneath one of the busts of a former king. One of the bookshelves on the wall opened up, revealing a secret passageway.

“How’d you discover this? I didn’t know you spent time in the library. Amongst _books,” _Touya teased.__

Touko shoved his arm. “Just because I’m not a bookworm like you doesn’t mean I never step foot in here.” She shot him a devious grin. “There’s a whole lot of nooks and crannies here that are great if you don’t want to get caught.” 

“Get caught doing what?”

They both jumped at the sound of a knock on the library door. 

“I’m in here!” Touko yelled. She turned to Touya. “Go. You’ll end up outside the palace gates. There’s a switch on the back of the bookshelf to open it from the inside.”

Touya hurried into the tunnel, and heard the bookshelf creak shut. Taking deep breaths, he walked quickly until he came out on the other end. 

The sun had started to rise, barely peeking over the horizon. Touya knew there’d be more guards arriving to their stations, so he didn’t have time to linger around. Touko had gotten him more modest clothing—muted browns and greys that were easily overlooked compared to the vibrant blues and golds of his formal clothes. 

As he walked along the road, he heard a rustling noise from the forest around him. He whirled around to see a small child, clinging to the trunk of a tree. 

The child had dark skin, and his huge blue-green eyes fixated on Touya with an intensity that made him want to squirm. His hair was a tangle of silky black, and he looked to be about six or seven years old. 

“Hey there little guy,” Touya said, in what he hoped was a soothing voice. “Are you alone? Where are your parents?” He surveyed the area, but there wasn’t another soul in sight. “Can I… uh, can I help you?”

The boy said nothing, just blinked at Touya. Touya wondered if the boy knew who he was. 

He was about to take a step towards the boy, when a carriage came down the path, pulled by Zebstrika. It blocked Touya’s sight of the boy, but when the carriage had passed, the boy was gone.

Touya continued on to the town square, unable to shake the thought of those huge, blue-green eyes staring at him.

* * *

“N, you need to take a trip to the market,” Ghetsis said. “Here is a list and some money. I expect you will not waste a single cent.”

“Yes sir.” N ducked his head, avoiding Ghetsis’ glare.

“And don’t take too long. You have too much work to do at home to be wasting time in the square.”

It was a perfect spring day, sunny with a light breeze. The sky was filled with puffy, white clouds. Flowers buds were unfolding to reveal their blossoms to the sun, and the birds had returned from their winter migration. 

N walked down the cobblestone path. The area became more crowded the closer he got to the town. He glanced at the list. It wasn’t too long. It should only take him about an hour.

He hummed quietly to himself while he went about doing his errands. He was thankful that Ghetsis had given the shopping task to him, as it was one of the few reasons he was allowed to leave the house.

As he was getting ready to pay for his groceries, someone bumped into him, causing him to drop some of his coins. They clinked on the pavement, and rolled underneath the fruit stands. 

N knelt down to retrieve the money, when a pair of hands joined in his search. He looked up to see a young man, who appeared to be his age or a little younger, picking up the stray coins. The boy had messy brown hair, and light freckles spotting his cheeks and nose. 

He turned to N, and N’s breath caught in his chest. The stranger’s eyes—a rich, melted chocolate—were illuminated by the sun, bringing out flecks of gold. 

“I think this is the last of your coins,” the boy said, pressing them into N’s hands. 

“Th-thank you,” N said. His heart skipped when the boy smiled. There was an honest benevolence in the boy’s face that made N realize how much he craved compassion.

“You’re welcome.” They stood up, and the boy looked around, then back at N. He had a smirk on his lips, like he was about to share a secret that only he and N were in on. “I snuck out this morning to come down here. I don’t get to leave very often.” 

“Me neither,” N admitted, before he could stop himself. He bowed his head. “I have to be going now. My stepfather will not be pleased if I’m gone too long. Thank you for your help.” 

Before the boy could ask any questions, N turned and left.

* * *

N was busy scrubbing the floor, scolding himself for slipping up in the square. He'd revealed a minor detail, but if Ghetsis knew that N had told someone that he wasn’t allowed to leave his house…

A loud knock came from the front door, disrupting his thoughts. 

“Open in the name of the Queen!” 

N pushed himself up and opened the door. There stood the Grand Duke Cheren, waving a letter in N’s face. 

“This is an urgent message from her Imperial Majesty!” Cheren stated, handing the letter to N. “Please inform everyone in the household of this message!”

“Thank you, sir,” N said with a small nod. 

_“What’s it say?”_ Zorua barked, close on N’s heels as he backed into the foyer.

“I dunno. I guess I better give this to Ghetsis.”

N made his way upstairs, listening for the sound of the piano. 

“It’s probably better if you stay out here,” he said to Zorua. 

Zorua sat, though he didn’t look happy about it. N knocked gently on the door. The piano music halted.

“What is it?” Ghetsis shouted. 

N cracked open the door. Anthea was sitting at the piano, and Concordia sat in the corner, stitching a large blanket. Ghetsis stared at N with narrowed eyes.

“This better be something important for you to interrupt us.”

“This just arrived from the palace,” N said, holding out the letter. “I was told it was an urgent message from the Queen.”

Ghetsis got to his feet, taking the letter from N. He opened the envelope, removing the piece of paper inside. “There’s going to be a ball Friday evening,” he read aloud, his excitement growing with each word, “in honor of his Highness, the Prince. And by royal command, every eligible young man and woman is to attend. Prince Touya, with the help of the guardian Pokémon, will choose a suitable partner to marry.” He glanced sideways at Anthea and Concordia. 

“You… you want us to go?” Concordia asked. 

“Of course! This is your chance to win the heart of the young prince, and I know you will do your best to succeed.” His piercing gaze traveled from one daughter to the other.“You girls wouldn’t disappoint me, now would you?”

“No!” Anthea answered, a little too suddenly. Her eyes met N’s for a brief second. “We wouldn’t dream of it.”

“Th-that means I can go too, isn’t that right?” N inquired. He swallowed hard as all three pairs of eyes focused on him, but didn’t lose his nerve. “I’m a member of the family, and it says by royal command _every_ eligible young man and woman is to attend.”

“Hmm…” Ghetsis said thoughtfully, “so it does.” 

Anthea and Concordia shot each other a look. There was an unpleasant gleam in Ghetsis’ eyes, and he couldn't possibly intend to let N go. 

Ghetsis smiled, though there was no warmth in it. “Well, I see no reason why you can’t go”—he paused—“if you get all your work done.” 

“Oh I will! I promise!” N exclaimed, practically skipping back towards the door. 

“And,” Ghetsis continued, “if you can find something suitable to wear.” 

“I’m sure I can!” N bowed his head. “Oh, thank you stepfather!” He exited the room, eager to start his chores again.

“Father,” Anthea said, wringing her hands and keeping her eyes on the closed door. “Do you really mean… are you aware of what you just agreed to?” 

“Of course,” Ghetsis replied coolly. “I said _if.”_ He cleared his throat. “Now, back to your concerto…”

* * *

“I can’t believe it Zorua! He actually said I could go!” 

N and Zorua were in the attic, which hadn’t seen a living thing in a very long time. A thick layer of dust coated every surface, and a small, circular window on the back wall let in just enough light to illuminate the room. Many of the contents of the attic had been shoved haphazardly up there following the deaths of N’s parents.

 _“Yeah, if you’re still_ alive _by the end of the week,”_ Zorua snorted. _“Did you see the amount of chores he added to your usual workload? Some of them are pointless! Like ‘clean the attic’? No one’s even been in here in forever._ He’s _certainly not coming up here any time soon.”_

It was true, Ghetsis had piled on work for N—no doubt an attempt to keep him from meeting the guidelines of their agreement. But, he had to try. This was his chance to go to the palace! And, though it was a long shot, maybe the prince would find favor in him, and then he’d be free from Ghetsis for good! That was enough for him to suffer through every grueling task this week. 

Zorua wagged his tail, looking around. _“What are we doing here anyways? Everyone’s asleep and you should be too. You’ve got a ton of work to do starting tomorrow morning.”_

“I’m looking for something.” N’s gaze swept across the room, scanning each item tucked away in this forgotten section of the house. “There.”

He knelt down next to an old chest. Its paint was faded and chipped, but N knew it had been a dark forest green once. He remembered it used to sit in the corner of his father’s office. He flipped open the lid and sighed.

Inside the chest were his father’s belongings. He saw his father’s journals, along with some of his books and a few other personal things. Folded underneath was his father’s favorite suit, the one he always liked to wear to the theater. It was not in the best shape, having been locked in a trunk for at least a decade, but N figured with a bit of stitching, he could make it work.

“Zorua, we might just have a shot after all.”

* * *

Touya returned to the castle, almost dancing with joy. His day had been as successful as he’d hoped; he’d walked among the citizens of the kingdom unrecognized, and did as much service as he could. It brought a certain peace to his heart that he’d been longing for. 

He managed to sneak into his room and wash up before Bianca knocked on his door. 

“Just a minute!” he called out.

“Your mother has requested that you come to the throne room in five minutes,” Bianca informed him. “Touko will be there too.”

“Thank you Bianca.”

He heard her quick footsteps walking away. _What could Mother possibly want now?_

He was the last one to arrive. His mother and Touko met him halfway down the long red carpet. 

“What’s going on?” he asked.

“Do not worry,” the Queen said. “I summoned you because we have some honored guests arriving tonight. I have invited members of high ranks from the other kingdoms to celebrate with us. They will be staying in the guest halls. Since some of the travel distances are farther than others, they will be arriving at various times this week. Everyone I’ve invited should be here in time for the ball on Friday.”

“O-oh.” 

“Tonight, Unova’s own Duke Alder and Marchioness Iris will be arriving from Floccesy Town and Opelucid City. Those that have responded to the invitation are: Hoenn’s Kings Wallace and Steven Stone, and Prince Wally, Sinnoh’s Queen Cynthia, Johto’s Prince Ethan and Princess Lyra, and Kanto’s Kings, Red and Green. Due to some untimely conflicts, officials from Kalos and Alola are unable to make it.” 

“Well, aren’t you special,” Touko said. 

“I expect that you two will be on your very best behavior.” Queen Luciana gave them a stern look. “You are representing not only the royal family, but also Unova. You must treat our guests with the utmost respect and dignity. Do you understand me?”

“Yes Mother,” they mumbled in unison.

They heard rapid footsteps approaching. Someone was walking with a purpose. The trio turned to see Cheren hurrying towards them. 

He stopped and bowed. “Your Majesty,” he said in between breaths. “They’re here.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> is there much consistency between champions and other characters and what their status is?? no, but i wrote it because i need it to work out like that lol


	4. So Close, yet so Far

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Like I said before, it really is a shame you couldn’t obtain proper clothing for the ball.” Ghetsis tapped his cane against the floor. “Anthea, Concordia. It’s time to go.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oops this chapter is a little longer than normal, but oh well
> 
> i'm gonna try to finish this work in the next couple of weeks/months(?) it shouldn't take me too long (key word: shouldn't) but sometimes i get lazy/busy so we'll see.
> 
> i've been staring at this for a while, so i'll probably end up doing some minor edits later
> 
> also wow ghetsis sucks

In his best attempt to complete the tasks he’d been given, N worked from well before sunrise to well past sunset. Every morning he dragged himself out of bed, and every night he returned with barely enough energy to stand. He dusted, swept, washed, polished, mopped, and more, while squeezing in every second he could to work on fixing up his clothes.

Lucifer seemed to exist solely to make N’s life unnecessarily difficult. He followed N around everywhere he went, looming over him like a constant reminder of what was at stake. When N would finish cleaning a room, Lucifer would find some way to make it dirty again. Sometimes he would make N clean the same room three times before letting him move on to the next one. 

Zorua observed all this with growing resentment and indignation for Ghetsis, and guilt at his own uselessness.

 _There must be something I can do to help,_ he thought, pacing around N’s room. _But what? I can’t sew._ A thought popped into his head. _But I know who can!_

He hopped onto N’s bed and snatched the suit. He snuck down to the back door, avoiding being seen by anybody. With a strong shove, he maneuvered the door open, and dashed into the forest.

* * *

Once a week, Touya and Touko attended lessons on etiquette and manners and whatever else was necessary for them to be “proper royals”. In preparation for Friday, Queen Luciana ordered them to have lessons everyday this week. 

Touya didn’t really mind. He was practicing waltzing with Burgh and Lenora. Luckily for him, waltzing was not particularly difficult, and as he and Lenora danced, he found his mind wandering once again. 

He couldn’t believe how rapidly the ball was approaching. He had no idea what to expect, which meant that it was the one thing on his mind. What if something went wrong? What if no one worthy showed up? What would he do then?

The week had passed in a whirl, and he tried to keep track of each new person he encountered. He’d met the Hoenn Kings and Prince, Sinnoh’s Queen, and Johto’s Prince and Princess. The last guests yet to arrive were Kanto’s Kings, Red and Green. 

Lenora paused and Touya tilted his head at her in confusion. 

“You stepped on my feet, your Highness.”

“Oh. My apologies,” Touya said. His body itched to go walk in the gardens, to escape the weight of anticipation pressing down on him. He needed a place to clear his mind.

Burgh walked over to them, a cheerful look of approval on his face. “Your technique has improved greatly since the beginning of this week,” he said. He studied Touya’s face. “I can see you have a lot on your mind. You are dismissed for today.”

Touya let out a breath and left the ballroom. He walked at a brisk pace toward the garden when he ran into Touko.

She had just left her own lesson with Elesa, who was teaching her how to walk in high heels. Elesa wasn’t a mean person, but she took her job very seriously, and kept Touko in line. When Touko pushed, Elesa pushed back. 

Judging by Touko’s sour expression, her patience was at its end. 

“I don’t see why I need to learn how to walk in high heels if my skirts are so long that I could walk around barefoot and no one would know,” Touko grumbled, after she was out of Elesa’s earshot.

“Having a good day?” Touya said.

She glared at him. “Don’t mention it. I’m going to the kitchen. I heard the Striaton triplets are fine tuning the desserts for the ball, so I’m gonna flirt my way into getting a piece of cake.”

He blinked and she was gone. He shook his head, and continued on to the garden.

* * *

Leavanny sat on the soft grass, surrounded by the numerous newly hatched Sewaddle. She watched as they stumbled around, exploring the forest floor. Swadloon gathered in groups of three or four, feeding on the leaves that had fallen from the trees above.

As the Leader of the Sewaddle and Swadloon, Leavanny made it her duty to find a safe place for her family. They lived deep in the forest, in a clearing concealed by the trees and smaller plants on the ground.

Leavanny’s antenna twitched, as she picked up the sound of a trespasser approaching at a rapid speed. She raised her arms, preparing a Razor Leaf attack.

The plants shook, and then a furry black head popped out, followed by the rest of the Pokémon’s body.

Leavanny stood up, not quite believing what she was seeing. The sharp leaves fell to the ground.

 _“Zorua?”_ she said. _“What are you doing here? It’s… it’s been so long.”_

_“I’m here because N needs your help.”_

Leavanny’s expression softened. _“The boy with the kind heart. I remember him very well. We first met when he was a young boy, and I was just a Sewaddle, and we’d play together often.”_ Her eyes narrowed, and her expression twisted into one of wistful sorrow. _“But, when darkness fell upon the house, and the angry man and his monstrous dragon seized the property, I was forced to flee deep into the woods, to protect my own.”_ She gestured to the younger Pokémon. _“I’m sorry but I cannot help you if it will put them in danger.”_

_“What if you don’t have to leave?”_

Her antenna twitched again, but her face remained impassive. _“What do you mean?”_

Zorua dragged what he’d been carrying with him out into the open. Leavanny couldn’t tell exactly what it was, other than a heap of dark fabric. 

_“The Queen is hosting a ball tomorrow night, and Ghetsis is keeping N so busy he won’t have time to mend these clothes himself. I know all of you are skilled at weaving and making clothes, and you would be able to tailor this before the ball.”_

The Swadloon turned to see Leavanny's response. 

_“Please,”_ Zorua begged. _“If the guardian dragon and the Prince like him, then he could become King and he’d be able to move Ghetsis so you didn’t have to hide anymore.”_

Leavanny let the idea sink in. _“Alright,”_ she said finally. _“We will do this as a favor to N, with hopes that he will rid us of this terrible presence. Leave it with us. I will bring it back to the house.”_

The Dark-type Pokémon perked up. _“I can’t thank you enough Leavanny. Your help is immensely appreciated.”_

He vanished into the trees, leaving behind the crumpled suit in the grass.

Leavanny walked over to the bundle, grasping it with her leaf-like hands. A memory flashed in her mind of a small green-haired boy. _“Swadloon!”_ she called out. _“Let’s get to work.”_

* * *

The palace was in a state of excitement. 

Everywhere Touya went, he felt a kind of quiet, intense energy. The staff was working overtime to get everything ready for tonight. People were curious about the special guests, especially the ones who’d traveled quite a long way to get here.

Late last night, King Red and King Green had finally arrived. Touya was surprised at how young the two kings were. They were arguably two of the most famous figures in the world, but they didn’t look like they were any older than thirty. 

Green had been very apologetic about their delayed entrance. “We left late ’cause _somebody_ was wandering around Mount Silver instead of getting ready to go. Can’t let this one out of my sight.”

Red, who stayed silent during most of the interaction, frowned at him. 

“I’m teasing you.” He threw his arm around Red and pressed a kiss to his temple. “You know I love you, right?”

The faintest hint of a smile flickered across Red’s lips. He signed something to Green. 

“Yeah, I know, but we can’t be rude. We’re guests here,” Green whispered.

Red signed again.

“Okay, okay, I’ll wrap it up.” Green turned to the Queen, Touya, and Touko. “I hate to cut our introduction short, but we’ve been traveling for a really long time, and Red’s all tired out, so…”

“No worries!” Queen Luciana said. “Touya, would you please direct them to their room?” 

“Yeah, follow me please.” 

Touya knew the route well by this point. He and Touko had taken turns leading guests to their assigned rooms, which were all along the same hallway. 

“So, big event happening tomorrow huh?” Green said as they shuffled down the long hall.

Touya almost jumped. They’d been so quiet up until this point he hadn’t been expecting anything. “Y-yeah.”

“Are you nervous?”

Touya stopped, unsure whether or not to answer honestly. “U-um…”

“Sorry if that was too personal,” Green added quickly. “I know you’ve got a huge decision to make, and I assumed it was stressing you out.”

“If I’m being honest, I’m a little terrified.”

Red tugged on Green’s sleeve and made a gesture with his hands.

“I know you’ve probably heard this about a million times, but you shouldn’t worry too much about having to choose your future spouse. You’ll know when you meet them, because they feel like home. Wouldn’t you agree Red?”

Red nodded. 

Touya cleared his throat. “This is your room,” he said, pointing to the open door. “If you need anything, there are always servants walking around. Your belongings should be in there already.”

“Thanks,” Green said. He stared pointedly at Red.

Red signed _Thank you,_ and went into the room. Green rolled his eyes, but the corner of his mouth lifted.

“Don’t mind Red. He’s not a big talker, obviously, but I thought this trip would do him some good. He really is a good guy, but he does things that are perceived as rude or strange to others, mostly as coping mechanisms.” Green held out his hand. “Thank you again for your hospitality. We really appreciate it.”

“You’re welcome anytime,” Touya said as he shook Green’s hand. “Enjoy your stay.”

* * *

_“N.”_

No answer. 

_“N!”_

Nothing.

Zorua opened his mouth and shot a black band of energy at N. It snapped as it hit him, and N jolted awake. The weak attack hadn’t done much other than leave a slight stinging sensation in his arm. 

“Ah!” N winced. “Zorua? Did you use Pursuit on me?”

_“I had to. I was making sure you were still alive.”_

“Miraculously, I am.”

_“Ghetsis was looking for you. I think he’s in his room right now.”_

N sighed and pushed himself up. “Thanks for letting me know,” he muttered. 

He left the library, where he’d been dusting all the bookshelves. Based on how low the sun hung in the sky, there wasn’t much time until Ghetsis and his sisters would be leaving for the ball.

He knocked on Ghetsis’ door. 

“Come in.”

He opened the door, and entered the room. Ghetsis stood near the mirror on his wall, checking over his outfit.

“I’ve noticed that you’ve worked extra hard this week to uphold your end of the bargain, even with a few… minor setbacks.” Ghetsis did not look at N, continuing to inspect himself in the mirror. “Therefore, I will allow you to finish your chores tomorrow. Go change into your formal attire and meet us in the foyer in an hour.”

A weight dropped in N’s stomach. He’d been so preoccupied this week, he hadn’t had enough time to...

“Is there an issue N? Were you unable to acquire sufficient garments for the ball?”

N shook his head. He’d done everything he could, but he’d still failed. His eyes filled with tears, but he kept his head down. He would not give Ghetsis the satisfaction of seeing his tears.

Ghetsis clicked his tongue. “What a shame. In that case, maybe you could give Lucifer a bath, and clean the kitchen.”

N left in defeat. Irritation burned inside him. What did he expect? That Ghetsis would honestly let him go to the ball? That he’d let N have an ounce of happiness? N would never be free from this nightmare—not without some serious magic or a miracle. 

After the bath was done, Lucifer and N started towards the door. They were interrupted by a slow, pleasant melody floating through the air. N watched Lucifer’s wings droop, then his heads, and finally he sank to the ground before falling into a deep sleep.

N spun around to see what the source of the music was. 

A tall Pokémon stood in the yard, clutching a glowing green leaf. It was at the very edge of where the light reached, lit up enough that N could see it, but not enough that he could tell who it was.

“Hello?” N said. “Are you lost? Can I help you?”

The Pokémon stepped forward, its features becoming clearer in the light. _“Have you forgotten the face of an old friend?”_ she said with a smile.

N’s eyes widened. “Leavanny? But…”

_“It’s been a long time N. Ever since the Hydreigon moved onto the property, it was not safe for me and my family.”_

“What are you doing here now?”

_“I’ve come to bring you this.”_

She moved to the side, to reveal a Swadloon with a bundle on top of its head. The Swadloon came forward, until it was right in front of N. N knelt down and took the bundle.

 _“We worked real hard on this!”_ Swadloon said. _“We hope you like it!”_

N unfolded it, then gasped. It was his father’s suit, though it was no longer ragged and falling apart. Every hole and torn seam had been sewn, silk shining in the light. He couldn’t believe it. 

He looked up, his mouth open in shock. “What… How did you…?”

Leavanny shook her head. _“That is not important. We do not forget those who have been kind to us.”_ The Swadloon returned to her side. _“You don’t have much time. Go to the ball, and if you are chosen by the Prince, restore the light that this house once held.”_

She bowed deeply, and departed with Swadloon. 

N blinked at the darkness where they’d been. He gripped the suit tighter, as if to confirm that that had really just happened. _I… I can go to the ball!_

He snapped to his senses, and returned to his room as quickly as possible. The carriage would be arriving soon, and he did not have a moment to spare.

* * *

“Anthea, Concordia, I expect nothing but the best from both of you tonight,” Ghetsis stated. 

“Yes Father,” they replied. 

“Good. The carriage will be here any minute now and—”

“Wait!” 

Ghetsis turned to the top of the stairs, and for a second, his heart stopped. 

N descended the last step and joined the other three in the foyer. He looked nothing less than extraordinary, alight with renewed hope. 

“Wh-Where did you get those clothes?” Ghetsis demanded.

“They were up in the attic,” N answered. “I found them in an old trunk.”

Realization dawned on Ghetsis, and he relaxed. His plans would not go askew after all. “You found these clothes?” 

“Yes, sir.”

“And what condition were they in?”

N hesitated. “I-I’m not sure what you—”

Ghetsis held up his hand. “Don’t play stupid, boy. I’m asking what was the state of those clothes when you found them.”

“W-well they’ve been in a trunk for years so they weren’t in the best shape s-so I… fixed them up.”

“Hm, I see.” Ghetsis moved closer. “Concordia! Come here.”

Concordia obeyed, her eyes wide. “What is it Father?”

“With your expert eyes, would you tell me what’s wrong with N’s handiwork?”

“Well… uh…” 

There was nothing wrong with the suit, and everyone knew it. But Concordia understood exactly what Ghetsis was doing. It didn’t matter how perfect the stitching was, she had to find some flaw in it.

“Well this seam here is slightly uneven…”

She winced at the sound of Ghetsis tearing said seam. 

“See?” Ghetsis said. “This is unacceptable for garments meant to be worn to the royal palace! And I’m sure this is not the sole imperfection in the suit’s reparations…”

For the next few minutes, Ghetsis prompted Concordia to identify the “mistakes” in the stitching. She tried to point out miniscule things, but Ghetsis continued to push, determined to destroy any last shred of liveliness N had. By the end, nothing but loose pieces of fabric hung on N’s body. 

“Like I said before, it really is a shame you couldn’t obtain proper clothing for the ball.” Ghetsis tapped his cane against the floor. “Anthea, Concordia. It’s time to go.” 

The girls exited the house, getting into the carriage. Ghetsis lingered for a moment longer.

“I do hope you’ve learned your lesson about the dangers of believing too much in nonsensical dreams,” he said in a low voice, his back to N. “They have as much substance as smoke blowing away in the wind. This silly wishful thinking of yours blinded you to the reality of the world, and now you have no one but yourself to blame for this crushing disappointment.”

Ghetsis slammed the door behind him, and N _shattered_. He spun on his heels and ran into the backyard, sinking into the grass before beginning to sob.

How long would he be trapped in this life? Until Ghetsis died? Until _he_ died? 

He wanted to remain optimistic, but there was no escape in sight. He would be alone, forced to clean floors for the rest of his sad life. He wondered what his parents would think, if they could see him now. 

His whole body shook as he cried, rattling his hollow core. The loneliness inside him gnawed away his other feelings, until the only thing he could feel was the ache in his heart, longing for love. 

In the center of the lawn, an electric blue light began to take shape. The light grew in size and intensity, too bright to look directly at. With a sudden flash, the light vanished, and in its place, stood one of the strangest people N had ever seen.

He was tall, with blond hair and a strand of blue hair that wrapped around his head. He wore a long white coat and white gloves. In his hands, he held a… thing N had no name for. 

“I can’t believe it worked,” he muttered to himself in surprise.

“Um… pardon me, but… who are you?” N questioned.

The man flinched. “Oh! Apologies! Quite rude of me to appear in your backyard and not even introduce myself,” he said, straightening his glasses. He placed his hand on his chest. “My name is Colress, and I am your Fairy Godfather.”


	5. Until the Stroke of Midnight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A gentle hush spread across the room, as a young man entered the room. Touya looked up and the entire world stilled. It was as if the stars had fallen from the sky and were standing in front of him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i love colress basically being a really tall child and getting excited about his magic. 
> 
> also, i’m not doing like a "glass slipper" thing because it doesn’t really fit in my story, and also it creates a lot of weird plot holes in the original cinderella, like why did it not change back at midnight, and how did the prince think it was a better idea to see who fit the shoe rather than who had the other shoe and/or idk like recognize her face?? there is an object that serves the same purpose, but it’s not quite the same. also, you know when you’re writing and you know what you want to write, but when you actually write it, it doesn’t feel right? that’s how the majority of the chapter felt. 
> 
> [here's](https://youtu.be/ldir_Kl9mQE) the waltz that touya and n danced to  
> [here's](https://youtu.be/YOV7yWEv54o) the second waltz (which is actually the cinderella waltz)  
> i literally listened to like an hour of famous classical waltzes to figure out which one i liked the best

“You’re my… my…”

“Fairy Godfather,” Colress finished. 

_Oh, Arceus Ghetsis has done it,_ N thought. _He’s poisoned me, and now I’m hallucinating in the backyard._ He frowned. _What a weird thing to hallucinate._ He hoped that whatever Ghetsis had given him wasn’t deadly.

“You don’t look well, are you alright?” Colress asked, coming closer to N. “Please don’t faint on me.” 

“Uh… Is, um, is this real? Are… are you real?”

“Am I real?” Colress’ bright laughter echoed off the walls. “Of course I’m real! I’m as real as you or the house or the grass growing from the ground.”

“And what is that… thing you’re holding?”

“This?” He held up the peculiar device. “This is the Colress Machine. Named and created by yours truly.” His gaze drifted downward to his feet. “I-I would’ve been here a lot sooner to help you, but building this thing wasn’t easy. Years of failed trials and reworking and rebuilding…” He got a faraway look in his eyes and shuddered. The dark cloud on his face passed, replaced by a cheerful smile. “But here I am! And I’m going to get you to the ball one way or another!” 

N’s heart sank. “Yeah… about that… I don’t think you can help me.”

“Why’s that?”

N held out his arms. “I’m dressed in rags, I have no carriage, and those kinds of things don’t just materialize out of thin air.” 

Colress’ eyes lit up and he straightened up. “Well, we’ll just have to see about that, won’t we?”

“What—”

Colress was busy pressing buttons on his machine. “Hold still, and don’t panic. This won’t hurt at all.”

A blue lightning bolt burst from the machine and surrounded N. He was blinded for a moment, and the light exploded into sparkles that rained down on the lawn. 

N blinked, then examined himself. His suit had been completely repaired, but it was better than before. Tiny reflective gems threw bits of light off; the suit appeared to be brand new, rather than over a decade old. It was extraordinary.

“How…” N breathed. “How did you do that?”

“Magic,” Colress answered very matter-of-factly.

“Magic?”

“Uh-huh.”

“I don’t… I don’t understand.”

“Well, I created this machine to channel my spells,” he said, gesturing with the Colress Machine. “I don’t need it to do magic, but it helps me direct my powers. You could think of it sort of as a… magic wand, if you will. Now,” he continued before N could question him further, “we need to get you going, don’t we?” He paced around, eyes scanning the surrounding area.

“Aha!” he said, upon finding a pumpkin on the ground. “This oughta do.” 

“A pumpkin?”

“Yeah. It’s got kind of a carriage look about it, don’t you think?” He pointed the machine at it, and within seconds, the pumpkin had transformed into a magnificent carriage. 

All the commotion had drawn out Pokémon from the forest. They gathered around the edges of the lawn, their curiosity luring them further into the yard.

“We need a coachman, as well. A self-driving carriage wouldn’t do us any good.” He aimed his machine at one of the Watchog, and in a flash, a human version of the Watchog sat in the driver’s seat.

“And we need horses to pull the carriage as well!” He pointed to the empty space in front of the carriage. With a bolt of lightning, four Zebstrika appeared. 

He spun around, beaming. “My very own Zebstrika, at your service.”

The machine made a loud pop, and then black smoke began to come out the top.

“Oh dear,” Colress said, inspecting it. “I’m still perfecting this machine, and as you can see, it needs a few tweaks to be at its full potential…” He pushed his glasses up. “Unfortunately, that means the effects will only last until midnight, give or take a few minutes. After that, everything will revert back to the way it was before. So you’d better get going.”

“Thank you,” N said. “For everything.”

“If you really want to thank me, go out there and have a good time. Make a friend or two alright?”

N walked over to the carriage. He looked at the open door, then back at Colress.

“Go on, then,” Colress said. 

N climbed into the carriage. He waved to Colress as the Zebstrika began to trot. N watched Colress wave back, then snap. A huge blue lightning bolt struck, and Colress vanished.

* * *

Touya had been greeting guests all evening, trying his best to appear awake and enthusiastic—not that there was anything wrong with the people who’d come, but none of them were particularly intriguing. He’d made a few friends, but other than that he hadn’t really felt a spark with anyone he’d met.

He made his way over to the refreshments table and surveyed it. He poured himself some juice made out of Mago and Payapa berries, and sipped at it absentmindedly. 

The night was cool, so they’d opened the doors to the outside gardens. A mild breeze flowed through, keeping the room from overheating. Touya could hear the musicians in the corner playing a festive tune, and the carefree, pleasant chatter of all the guests.

Reshiram kept a watchful eye on the guests. The Dark Stone sat on a velvet pillow, atop a stone pillar.

 _Just as I’d feared,_ Touya thought. _It’s getting late, and Zekrom hasn’t reacted._

He sighed to himself, and walked away from the table. He maneuvered through the crowd, brushing off any conversations as politely as he could. He found Touko near the edge of the room, eating a small molten lava cake. 

“Touya have you tried this?” she said as he came nearer. “It’s _incredible._ I’ve had, like, three already.”

“Maybe later,” he said. He felt agitated, like he needed to be doing something else. He didn’t want to be in this room anymore. “Touko, I think this is a mistake.”

“The only mistake being made here is you not eating this cake.”

“Touko, I’m serious,” Touya insisted through gritted teeth. “Nearly the entire kingdom is here, and Zekrom hasn’t chosen anyone.”

“So what? Surely not everyone could come tonight.”

“That means no one here is worthy!” he exclaimed, nearly spilling his drink. A few people craned their necks to see what all the fuss was about. 

“Oh dear.” Touko took Touya’s glass and set it and her empty plate on a passing server’s tray. “Come here.” She grabbed him by the elbow and pulled him over to the wall. “Talk to me. What’s going on?”

“Ugh, I don’t know. I just think this night’s going to be a disaster ’cause Mom’s expecting me to find someone to marry, and if I can’t then I’ll embarrass her and myself and this family—”

“Whoa, whoa. Slow down.” Touko held Touya by his arms. “Deep breaths. You’re not embarrassing anyone. This is a celebration for you.”

“I know but—”

A gentle hush spread across the room, as a young man entered the room. Touya looked up and the entire world stilled. It was as if the stars had fallen from the sky and were standing in front of him.

Touko said something, but Touya didn’t hear it. All he could hear was the blood pumping in his ears. His feet carried him over to the new guest, picking up speed as he went. 

The young man looked around with an awestruck expression on his face, as if he were lost in a dream. He smiled when he saw Touya approaching, and bowed once Touya came to a stop in front of him. 

“Good evening, your Highness,” he said. 

“Please, call me Touya.”

The stranger’s eyes widened. “I-I don’t know if I could—” He was cut off by the musicians starting up a new piece, a waltz. 

Touya held out his hand. “Will you waltz with me?”

“W-well, the thing is…” the stranger looked down at his shoes, “I don’t really know how to waltz,” he admitted.

Touya reached out and took the stranger’s hand. “Don’t worry,” he said with a reassuring smile. “Just follow my lead.”

The horde of people backed up, clearing a space for Touya and the mysterious guest. 

“What is your name?” Touya asked as they got into position.

“Natural, though everybody calls me N.” 

“Do you trust me?”

N looked into Touya’s eyes. They were a charming, warm brown, and they held a tender sincerity. He took a deep breath. “I do.”

The first few steps were tentative, and N’s movements were stiff and clumsy. As the music swelled and took off, he surrendered to it, letting it take control of his body. Soon they were gliding around the floor. 

They were weightless, soaring high above everyone’s heads as they danced. The rest of the room fell away, and nothing existed but Touya, N, and the music. 

They touched down on Earth as the piece trailed to an end. Touya was breathless, his cheeks rosy. The two stared at each other, captured in the strange spell of time. The whole room seemed to be holding its breath, until one person started to clap. More joined in and suddenly a tidal wave of applause crashed over them. 

N grinned, obviously pleased with himself, and dropped his gaze to his feet. Touya’s stomach fluttered. 

After a brief pause, the musicians continued on with another waltz. Around them, people began to pair up and dance. Touya noticed Prince Ethan escorting Princess Lyra onto the floor, and Green persuading Red to dance.

“Come with me,” Touya said, taking N by the hand and guiding him away from the dance floor.

He glanced behind him to see the awestruck look had settled back on N’s face. 

“Is this your first time in the palace?” Touya inquired.

“Yes. I’ve only ever seen it from a distance,” N answered. He gasped as he spotted the white dragon in the corner. “That’s Reshiram, isn’t it?”

“The one and only.” 

“Wow, it’s bigger than I’d imagined.” 

Touya looked up at Reshiram, and was taken aback by the glimmer in Reshiram’s eyes. It was staring very intently at something. Touya cocked his head to one side, until he realized it wasn’t staring at him, but rather behind him. He followed its line of sight to… N. 

Touya’s spirits lifted. Could N be the one he’d been looking for? He needed to talk to N alone, away from all the noise. 

“N, would you, uh, like to take a walk with me?”

* * *

They ended up in the Zen Garden. The stars twinkled in the sky above, and the full moon illuminated the tall hedges. Illumise and Volbeat fluttered around, and Kricketune chirped to each other from across the garden. 

“So, um, are you enjoying yourself?” Touya inquired, breaking the silence.

“I am. It’s so beautiful out here.” N’s eyes followed the Bug Pokémon. The Volbeats’ tails glowed as they floated delicately in the wind. 

He crouched down near the pond. Touya sat down next to him, and they listened to the quiet lapping of the water. 

“I like to come out here, when I need to think,” Touya said into the night. “You’re the only person I’ve even felt comfortable around because this whole marriage thing has gotten me _really_ stressed out and it’s all I’ve been able to think about—”

“Touya,” N said, squeezing Touya’s hand. “It’s going to be okay.”

A gust of wind carried the Illumises’ sweet aroma around the garden. Touya shifted his gaze to N. The Volbeat cast a warm yellow glow on N’s face, making him appear soft and radiant. Touya imagined him as a king, a gold crown on his head, living in the castle with him. 

_He’s the one,_ Touya thought. _He has to be._

Without fully realizing it, Touya was leaning in. He closed his eyes as his lips brushed N’s. The world seemed to click into place. Touya brought his hands up to the sides of N’s face, pulling him closer, and kissed him harder. 

After a moment, N pulled back slowly, his cheeks flushed an adorable shade of pink. 

“Wow,” he said, his eyes darting away to the pond. “I was not expecting that.” 

A wave of fear hit Touya. He was a prince; he was supposed to be the definition of modesty and composure, and here he’d let his emotions overwhelm him.

“I’m sorry,” Touya said, clenching his fists.

“Don’t be,” N assured him. “It… it was nice.”

An awkward silence stretched between them. Suddenly, a head popped up from the water. One of the Poliwags waddled over to N, unsteady on his stubby legs, and climbed right into his lap.

Like a domino effect, more followed. N was swarmed by various Pokémon that inhabited the garden—Woopers, Roselias, Petilils. They gathered around, poking and prodding and inspecting him.

“They really like you,” Touya commented. “I’ve never seen them act like this, especially not with a stranger.”

One of the Roselias held up a cube. Its reflective sides glinted in the dim light.

“What’s that?” Touya asked.

“It’s a puzzle my father gave me when I was little. She must’ve taken it out of my pocket,” N explained. He turned to the Roselia. “May I please have it?” 

The Roselia said something to N that Touya couldn’t understand.

“Well, because I want to show Prince Touya how it works,” N said back to Roselia.

_“Rose?”_

“Yes, he is my friend. And he’s going to be the king someday, and then I could ask him to order you to give it back, so you should probably hand it over now.” He grinned playfully at the Roselia. 

The Roselia surrendered, holding out the cube. 

“Thank you.” N faced Touya. “This piece actually comes apart.” He gave it a tug, separating the pieces of the puzzle. “And it works like this…” He trailed off when he saw Touya’s expression.

“You… did you just _talk_ to the Roselia?” 

“Yes.”

“You can talk to Pokémon? Pokémon that can’t communicate telepathically?”

N shifted nervously. “...Yes.”

“That’s amazing! Why didn’t you say so sooner?”

“Well I—”

He was interrupted by the ringing of the clock tower. He whipped his head around. The blood drained from his face as he read the clock. 

It was midnight.

He shot up, scattering the Pokémon that were gathered around. The Water-type Pokémon dove back into the pond, and the others retreated into the flower bushes.

“I-I’m sorry,” N stammered. “I have to go.”

“What? Why?”

Touya scrambled after him, but N was surprisingly agile, and was getting further and further from him by the second.

“N! Wait!” 

Touya pushed through the crowd, following N through the ballroom, out the front door, and down the steps.

N bumped into one of the guards standing at the foot of the stairs. “Sorry!” he called out as he hurried on. He hopped into his carriage, and commanded the coachman to go.

Touya watched helplessly as the carriage disappeared around the corner. He paced around the base of the staircase. Something shimmery caught his eye. He crouched down and picked it up.

It was a piece of N’s cube.

* * *

N returned just in time for the magic to undo itself.

The Zebstrika returned to Colress in a bolt of lightning, the coachman transformed back into a Watchog, and the carriage shrank into a pumpkin. N’s magnificent suit dissolved into the ragged scraps he’d been wearing. 

Everything was as it had been. 

N returned to his room, exhausted but elated. He changed out of his rags, and collapsed on his bed, staring up at the ceiling. He pressed his fingertips to his lips, replaying the kiss in the garden. 

He sat up, remembering he’d been about to show Touya his cube. He fished around the pants’ pockets, but it felt odd. He held it up, squinting at it in the moonlight.

A piece was missing. 

_I must’ve dropped it when I bumped into that guard._

He felt sad, for the cube was one of the few things he had from his childhood, and he might have lost a part of it forever, but the night had rekindled the fire of hope inside him. Ghetsis had called him a fool, but the idealist in him hoped that the other half had somehow fallen into Touya’s hands.


	6. You Found Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Touya threaded his fingers through N’s, giving his hand a gentle squeeze.
> 
> “Let’s go home.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello! sorry for the long wait! 
> 
> i had a minor injury that prevented me from being able to write and then i had a really huge lack of motivation and when i finally sat down to finish this chapter nothing was coming out the way i wanted, so it's safe to say it was a rough time all around. writing is so weird because earlier today i was worried that the chapter would be too short and i wouldn't have enough to write, but then it ended up being about 1000 words longer than i envisioned. 
> 
> i hope that it will not take me an entire month to write the last chapter, especially because i plan on it being a little shorter than the rest of the chapters. i had to write an “epilogue” (the wedding) and make it a really cute, fairytale happy ending. so that's what i'm gonna do.
> 
> thank you for your patience :D

Touya stood motionless, eyes fixed on empty road.

“You alright?”

Touya whirled around to see, to his surprise, Green. “Green? What’re you doing out here? And where’s Red?” He couldn’t imagine Red being comfortable in a big crowded room alone. 

“He’s at the top of the steps.”

Touya’s eyes drifted up. Sure enough, Red was pacing around the top of the staircase.

“I came to check up on you. You left in quite a hurry.” Green looked out at the space where Touya had been staring. “Did you see something that upset you?”

“No.” Touya sighed. “I think… I think I found the one. You were right, by the way. He feels like home.”

Green gasped. “That’s amazing!” He turned to face Red. “Red he listened to my advice!” 

“My advice.” Red’s voice was croaky, like this was the first time he’d spoken since waking up.

“Semantics,” Green teased. He turned back to Touya. “So, this is good news then, right? Why the long face?”

“He left, and I don’t know where he lives or how to find him.”

“I see. That is quite an issue isn’t it?”

“I have this,” Touya said, holding up the piece of N’s cube. “It’s a puzzle that he really likes. He dropped part of it while trying to leave.”

“Why don’t you just look for him?” Red asked.

Touya blinked at him. It was such an obvious and plain solution, but the idea hadn’t even occurred to him. The kingdom wasn’t that big; he could conduct a search and find him rather quickly. He knew N’s name and what he looked like. He had the pieces; now he just had to put them together.

He looked up at Green and Red. “I can do it.”

“Great!” Green said. “Do you want to come back and enjoy the rest of the night?”

“Sure.”

Touya returned to the ballroom, gathering up all his emotions and shoving them deep down where they could be ignored for now. He’d sort through them, and his plan of action tomorrow.

* * *

Touya woke early in the morning, and went to find his mother. He found her in the Reflection Garden, with Reshiram. 

As he approached, he noticed that the Dark stone was glowing. Within the orb, blue bolts of electricity crackled and flashed, like a tiny lightning storm. 

“Mother,” Touya said.

Her mother and Reshiram turned around.

“Good morning Touya,” the Queen said. “How was your big night?”

 _Magical._ “It was lovely.” 

A smile flitted on the Queen’s lips. “That’s wonderful. Reshiram alerted me to the change in Zekrom’s state.” She held the stone out to Touya. 

He took it carefully. The second it touched his fingertips, his whole body surged with energy. He heard a deep, calming voice in his head. 

_“I have been awakened by one who possesses the purest of hearts. His heart is full of beautiful ideals, and he will be an excellent king.”_

“Is it…?”

_“The one you danced with last night.”_

Touya closed his eyes. _Thank Arceus._ But he still had one major problem. Finding him.

“Mother, Zekrom has chosen someone, and it is the same person I believe is the one for me.”

“Oh? Is that so?” She clasped her hands together. “Whom have you chosen?”

“Well, that’s the thing.” Touya rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m not exactly sure. All I know is his name is N, but I don’t know where he lives. I was hoping we’d be able to conduct a search of the kingdom and find him.”

The Queen nodded thoughtfully. “This is an important matter. We shall begin the search immediately. The quicker we act, the better.”

“Really?”

“Yes. I must inform Cheren.” She turned and started toward the castle. She paused and looked over her shoulder at her son. “Would you like to accompany the search team?”

“May I?”

“Of course. Wherever he is, I imagine he’s waiting for you to come find him.”

* * *

In a strange, perhaps unprecedented occurrence, Ghetsis took the entire family to the market. He said he had some business to attend to, and that Anthea and Concordia should make themselves useful and check to see if there was anything they needed. N would help them carry whatever they got.

Ghetsis disappeared rather quickly, leaving Anthea, Concordia, and N to wander around. The three huddled around a stall showcasing different fabrics and a whole rainbow of spools of thread. 

“This silk is imported from Castelia,” the merchant said. “Made with the help of Burgh’s own Leavanny.” 

Concordia grazed the silk with her fingers. “It’s extraordinary.” 

“Hey guys,” Anthea said, nudging Concordia with her elbow. “Something’s going on over there.”

They turned to see a small crowd gathering in the center of the square. They joined the mass of people, standing near the edge of the crowd. N had to act as the eyes of the situation, as he was much taller than his sisters.

The Grand Duke Cheren was in the middle of the circle, sitting atop a Zebstrika. He unrolled a scroll, cleared his throat, and announced in a loud voice, “This is a message straight from the castle. Prince Touya and Zekrom have chosen the Ruler of Ideals.” 

A murmur ran through the crowd. People were buzzing with excitement, chattering about who it could be. 

Cheren waited for the crowd to quiet down before continuing. 

“The whereabouts of this man is unknown, but Touya did manage to obtain a small amount of information.” Cheren pushed his spectacles higher on his nose bridge. “We know that his name is Natural, though he is more commonly called N, and that he has a very unique cubic puzzle. We will be conducting a door-to-door search for him today. Any help in finding this man is greatly appreciated by Queen Luciana, Prince Touya, and the rest of the castle. Thank you.” 

Anthea’s grip on N’s arm tightened. “N!” she whispered excitedly. “You’re Prince Touya's love!”

“They’re sending a whole search team to find you,” Concordia added. 

“Too bad their search is in vain.” 

The three spun around to see Ghetsis looming over them. N’s entire body went numb. 

“We’re leaving,” Ghetsis ordered. “Now.”

* * *

Zorua dashed for a hiding spot as soon as he heard the heavy footsteps coming. Judging from the weight and the speed with which they were approaching, Ghetsis was not in a good mood, and the sight of Zorua would only make it worse.

“—and you will not leave your room until the search is finished.”

From Zorua’s hiding spot, he could see Ghetsis dragging N towards the tower.

“The prince cannot ever discover that you are here.” The threat in Ghetsis’ tone was unmistakable. 

Zorua crept to the base of the staircase, straining to hear the rest of the exchange. 

“Why?” N blurted out, his voice cracking. “Why are you doing this to me?” 

“Because,” Ghetsis said, “not all stories have happy endings. It’s time you accept yours.”

Zorua flinched when he heard the door slam shut, and the key turn in the lock. He shrank back under the stairs as Ghetsis descended them. He caught a glimpse of him carrying N’s puzzle. He waited a few minutes to make sure he would not return, then scampered up to N’s door. He heard N pacing around, the wooden floorboards creaking below his feet.

_“N!”_

The pacing stopped. The creaking got louder as N came closer to the door.

“Zorua?”

_“N, what happened? Why are you locked in here?”_

“Well, turns out both Prince Touya and Zekrom really like me, and the Queen has ordered a search for me. Obviously, that news didn’t sit well with Ghetsis.” N pressed his back against the door and slid down until he was sitting on the floor. “He’s never going to let me leave,” he groaned. “He even took the other half of my cube so I wouldn’t be able to take it to the prince.”

_“Why does the prince want it?”_

“He has the other half. Found it after I dropped it last night.”

 _“We’ll… we’ll figure something out,”_ Zorua said desperately. _“We always do.”_

“I’m gonna go lie down.” N's voice sank under the weight of his own exhaustion. “I’ve got nothing better to do.” 

_I’ll get that cube,_ Zorua told himself, _and then get us out of this mess._

He raced down the steps and into the house. 

_Now, where would Ghetsis have put N’s cube?_

There were two places Zorua guessed it would be: either Ghetsis' office or his room. N only went in those rooms when requested, and would have no reason to be looking around if he wanted to get it back.

But how could he check the office? Ghetsis spent the entire day in there doing Arceus knows what.

He stalked into the kitchen, tail swishing. He couldn’t go in the office or Ghetsis would quite literally kick him out. Maybe even kick him out of the house entirely. He hopped up onto the counter, nearly knocking the metal teapot onto the floor.

He lunged forward and caught the handle in his mouth just before it went tumbling off the counter. He set it down, and stared at his reflection in the teapot.

All of a sudden, the solution came to him. It was highly risky, and extremely dangerous. It could be disastrous… that is, if he got caught.

* * *

A gentle knock interrupted Ghetsis’ reading.

“Come in,” he said.

The door opened, and Anthea poked her head in.

“Do you need something?”

Anthea stepped in, holding a tray. On the tray was a teacup and saucer, and cream and sugar. She came over and set it down on the desk, not making eye contact with him.

“Is there a problem with the piano?”

She shook her head. Her eyes met his for a second, before scanning the room. She backed up towards the door. 

“Will you tell Concordia to start preparing dinner? N is relieved of his duties for today.”

Anthea nodded, then turned and exited quickly. Her silence was not unusual. Between the two girls, she was the quieter one.

Ghetsis squinted as he noticed a streak of red in her hair. The door shut with a quiet click. He shook his head. 

Must’ve been a trick of the light.

* * *

As soon as the door shut, Zorua let out a long breath. His heart pounded against his ribcage. He couldn’t believe it’d actually worked. If he’d been a Zoroark, his illusion would’ve been flawless, but as a Zorua, there was always one telltale sign when he transformed. Based on the results of his little quest, he’d been successful in fooling Ghetsis.

Unfortunately, the cube was not in the office, but now Zorua knew it had to be in his room. 

_This’ll be easy. I won’t have to worry about being in the same room as him. I'll just be in and out, super quick._

He was imagining the celebration at the castle when Prince Touya and N reunited, but stopped short as soon as he entered Ghetsis’ room. The door had been slightly ajar, and now he knew why.

Lucifer was in the room. Luckily, he was sleeping in the corner, snoring loudly.

Zorua’s spirits lifted when he spotted N’s cube on nightstand next to Lucifer. And, not only that, but the key to N’s room was also on the chain! 

He tiptoed over to Ghetsis’ bed and jumped up onto the silk sheets. He was back in Pokémon form. Zorua’s illusions didn’t last forever. It took a lot of energy for him to remain transformed. His entire body was on high alert; being caught by Lucifer might actually be more dangerous than being caught by Ghetsis.

He stood up on his hind legs, placing his front legs on the nightstand. He stretched out his neck and grabbed the chain.

He backed up, every movement slow and wary. The cube slid off the nightstand, knocking against the nightstand as it dropped.

Zorua tensed as Lucifer’s snoring halted. 

Lucifer lifted his head, squinting into the darkness. When he couldn’t see anything out of place, he lowered his head and closed his eyes.

After a brief pause, the snoring resumed. Zorua made his way to the door, squeezing through the small opening.

He sprinted as fast as he could away from the room. He ran down to the front room and hid himself behind the long curtains. He waited for his racing heart to settle. His ears twitched as he picked up a loud noise from outside. He popped his head up above the windowsill.

There was a group of people coming down the street. Zorua wagged his tail as he noticed Prince Touya front and center. 

All Zorua had to do now was figure out how to get the cube to him...

* * *

“Your Highness, this is the only house left.” 

Touya’s grip on the reins tightened. “We have to check.”

The final house was at the edge of the kingdom, partially secluded by the forest. Connected to the house on the left was a tall stone tower. There were a few lanterns lit by the front door, but not a whole lot of light coming from within the house. 

Cheren and Touya slid off their Zebstrikas, and walked up to the door. The rest of the search party, consisting of ten members, waited near the gated at the end of the path. Cheren raised his fist and knocked a few times. 

There was no response. 

He glanced at Touya, but Touya kept his eyes on the door. Finally, he heard the lock turn, and the door swung open. 

Touya opened his mouth to speak, but froze when he saw the man standing there.

The man towered over both of them, his presence overbearing and ominous. His red eyes glared at them, and his mouth was twisted down in an unpleasant frown. He had long green hair that resembled N’s.

“Pardon us,” Cheren began. “We are here on behalf of the Queen. We are looking for a young man whose name is N. ” 

“I’m sorry but I don’t know of anyone with that name.”

“Please sir,” Touya said. “It’s really important that we find him.”

One of Ghetsis’ eyebrows shot up, though his impassive expression remained unchanged. “Anthea! Concordia!” 

Two young women appeared, one on each side of Ghetsis. The blonde-haired girl looked like she was holding back tears, and the pink-haired girl seemed tense and upset. Neither one looked comfortable.

“These are my daughters, Anthea and Concordia,” Ghetsis said. “They are my only children in this house.” He paused, narrowing his eyes at Touya. “Clearly, they are not the ones you are looking for.” The edge in his voice warned Touya that his patience was wearing thin.

“Right. We apologize for the disruption,” Cheren interjected, before Touya could protest. “We will be on our way now.”

Cheren took Touya by the arm and guided him away from the house. Touya mounted his Zebstrika. He glanced over his shoulder one last time as they began their departure. Something was off. N had to be there. He could feel it in his gut. 

Cheren and Touya fell behind the rest of the team, as Touya traveled at a slow pace and Cheren refused to leave his side.

“I know you’re disappointed, but it’s not over yet,” Cheren said in an attempt to make the young prince feel better. “We will find him, I promise.”

Something darted out into the middle of the road, directly in front of Touya. He yanked on the reins, rearing his Zebstrika. 

“Whoa!” Cheren exclaimed. “What the hell was that?”

A little boy stood in front of the two. Touya tilted his head. It was the boy who’d been watching him the day he snuck out. He couldn’t mistake those huge blue eyes. Without saying a word, the boy held out the other half of the cube.

Touya gasped. “That’s—! Where did you get that?”

The boy motioned for them to follow him, and took off running back towards the house. Cheren whistled to the rest of the team, stopping them in their tracks. 

“Men! Follow that boy!” he directed. 

By the time they got back to the house, the boy was nowhere to be seen, but Touya was sure that this was the right place.

He knocked on the door again. Ghetsis answered, looking more annoyed to see them back.

“I told you already he’s not here,” he growled. Behind him, Touya saw the boy running to the left. 

“Excuse me,” he said, pushing past Ghetsis.

“What the—” Ghetsis took a step toward him, when he was met by the point of a sword. He turned to see Cheren, and one of the guards from the search party holding out the sword.

“Do not lay a hand on the Prince,” Cheren ordered. 

Touya chased after the boy as fast as he could, but lost sight of him as he climbed the winding staircase.

He reached the top, bending down to catch his breath. He inhaled deeply, hands on his knees, ignoring the aching in his lungs.

The door at the top of the tower opened, and Touya looked up.

N stood in the doorway, with a look of utter confusion and shock on his face. “Prince Touya? What’re you doing here?”

“I was… following… the little boy,” Touya huffed. He was perplexed by the boy’s absence. There was nowhere he could’ve gone, and Touya hadn’t been that far behind him.

N frowned. “What little boy?”

“The little boy with black hair and blue eyes.”

“I don’t know who you’re talking about.”

Zorua barked, dropping N’s cube onto the floor near his feet. 

“Zorua? What is this?” N bent down to pick up the cube. “How did you get this? What’s going on?”

_“I got you help. Just like I promised.”_

“You did this?”

Zorua nodded, puffing out his chest with pride. He spun around to look at Touya, who seemed more confused than before. 

“What do you mean he did…” He trailed off as he got a proper look at Zorua. Silky black fur. Large blue-green eyes. “How…”

“Zorua’s a special Pokémon who can create illusions,” N explained, a half smile creeping on his face as understanding dawned on him. “He can match his appearance to other people or Pokémon, but I’ve never seen what he chose as his human form. Looks like he led you right to me.”

N didn’t see Touya move, but felt a pair of arms wrap around him. 

“I’m so glad he did,” Touya murmured. 

“Prince Touya?” Cheren’s voice echoed up the tower. 

“We're coming!” Touya called out. He smiled down at Zorua. “Thank you so much for everything. We both owe you big time.” 

_“Aw, don’t mention it,”_ Zorua said, though he was obviously pleased.

N picked Zorua up, and followed Touya down the stairs.

“Your Highness,” Cheren said when they appeared in the foyer, “it has come to my attention that this man has committed a number of transgressions.” He pointed to Ghetsis. “Lying to Unova officials, mistreatment and abuse of children and Pokémon, refusing aid in our search, imprisoning the subject of our search. He is to be put on trial. Until the trial is complete, this property will belong to the Queen.” He gestured to the men standing near the door. “Guards, take him away!”

Ghetsis begrudgingly began to leave. He stopped in front of N. “You won’t be able to rule over Unova,” he sneered. “You’re nothing but a household servant. You will be a failure as a king just as you’ve been a failure to me all these years.”

N steeled himself to level his gaze with Ghetsis’. “You told me that not all stories have happy endings,” he said. “You’re right. Yours doesn’t. But I’m the author of my own story, and it will have a happy ending—one that does not require your approval.”

“Move it,” one of the guards commanded, pushing Ghetsis forward. Ghetsis scowled, but said nothing more. 

“What’s going to happen to us?” Concordia asked, after he was gone.

N whispered something in Touya’s ear. Touya smiled and nodded. He cleared his throat. 

“If you’d like to, you could be the owners of this property. With you two managing it, I’m sure it would become a lovely home to people and Pokémon. And, N would like to visit occasionally.”

“It would be an honor, Your Highness,” Concordia said, dropping into a curtsy. Anthea did the same.

They stepped forward, embracing N in a group hug. 

“We’ll make this house beautiful again,” Anthea promised.

“Please come back anytime,” Concordia said. 

They broke apart, and Touya threaded his fingers through N’s, giving his hand a gentle squeeze.

“Let’s go home.”


	7. Happily Ever After

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When N had walked into the ballroom, Touya had felt all of his fears dissolve into thin air. He remembered how the sight of N had quite literally taken his breath away.
> 
> He felt the same way when N walked down the aisle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> remember when i said this chapter wouldn't take me a month to write? hahhahahha yeah what a joke. i wanted to get this done before i leave to go on a trip for spring break, so i'm happy that i at least did that. i will proofread this again later, i just really wanted to post it for you before i left for break. 
> 
> so this work is finally finished yay! i'm really excited because this was one of my favorite story ideas i've had. i know what i want to write next, but after that i'm not sure? 
> 
> i've got a few ideas so i'd really appreciate it if you would answer [this post](https://sunshineeforthesoul.tumblr.com/post/183687050165/what-to-write-next), either on tumblr if you have an account, or in the comments here. let me know what you're interested in because i have a ton of things i want to write, so i'm not even sure what i want to do.
> 
> i wanted to include a link to [so this is love](https://youtu.be/0C-pbKVuS70) in case you want to listen to it. 
> 
> warnings for mentioned past abuse

The entire kingdom was in a flurry. 

The wedding was approaching rapidly, and the preparations for that made the ball look like a simple tea party. Touya had never seen an event get the kingdom as worked up as it was. People worked day and night, scurrying around like Durants in a swarm. 

Much to Touya and Touko’s displeasure, they once again had to take extra etiquette classes in the weeks leading up to the wedding, though the queen did allow N and Touya to have lessons together. 

N had quite a fair amount to learn, as he’d spent the majority of his life scrubbing floors and dusting shelves. He did his best to keep up. It wouldn’t do anyone good for him to embarrass himself at the wedding. 

He learned that Ghetsis had been transferred to Virbank City, a city full of grime and sludge, where he would have to work in the docks for the remainder of his years. 

Despite the general chaos that came with an event of this significance, N and Touya enjoyed spending time with each other. They walked in the gardens, relaxed in the library, and Touya introduced N to many of the people in the castle. Just like with the ball, they had special guests coming from all over the world.

Touya was glad when he heard Green and Red were coming back to celebrate. Green promised they’d leave earlier and stay longer, as they loved the region and Touya himself. 

When Touya introduced N to Green and Red, Green was instantly charmed by him.

“You’re quiet like Red,” he’d noticed. 

“He’s observant.” N’s eyes met Red’s. “Aren’t you?”

Red nodded.

“Living with Ghetsis meant that I had to be aware of every movement in the house,” N continued. “I learned really quickly how to tell if he was in a bad mood from small things, though I never quite learned everything that set him off.”

He cleared his throat, feeling his ears getting red, and looked down. “So yeah, I had to be quiet.” He risked a glance up at the others. “Sorry if that was too personal.”

“Don’t be,” Green assured him. “It’s important to talk about things like that. You’ve got a lot of support from Red and me. You’ve got some _great_ support here.” He reached out and hooked his arm around Touya’s neck. “So don’t be afraid to speak up. We’re here to listen.”

* * *

After that night, Touya began asking questions about N’s childhood. N told him the good parts first, before his parents were gone. And then he talked about the less pleasant events that clouded the past. 

“One time, Ghetsis made me sleep outside,” N said while they were laying in bed. 

“Really?” 

“Yeah. He threw Lucifer’s old blanket in the yard and locked all the doors until sunrise. He said I was lucky he was even giving me a blanket.” N looked away nervously. “I don’t remember why. Sometimes there wasn’t a reason why. Sometimes he would just be in a bad mood and I happened to be there.”

Touya pulled N close to him. “I don’t know what to say. Thank you for telling me.”

N exhaled. “I don’t want you to worry… if, if some days I seem off. It’s weird. I guess when I lived with him, I had to suppress everything, but now that I have time… now that I can think about it, it comes back to me.” 

“Has getting ready for the wedding made you uncomfortable?” 

N shrugged. “Honestly, no. I’m used to being busy all day.” He smiled. “I’m not used to being on the other end, though. I’d be one of the people polishing the floor or washing the windows.” 

“I can’t believe it’s already happening. I mean, tomorrow’s the big day.” 

“Are you scared?” N asked. 

“Not scared. Just… anxious.” Touya shook his head. “Are you?”

“No. I don’t think anything bad can happen.”

“Why not?”

“Because I’m with you. And I trust you.”

Touya’s heart fluttered. To think, he’d been so worried that there wasn’t someone out there for him. And now, here he was, beside the sweetest, most genuine person he’d ever known.

“We should try to get some sleep. It’s going to be hectic tomorrow.” Touya reached over to turn off his lamp.

Darkness fell across the room, and N reached out to the nightstand beside him. He held his cube, turning it slowly in his hands, watching the way the moonbeams glinted off of it. 

At this exact time tomorrow, he’d be married. Not only would he be married, but he would be married to Prince Touya.

He felt a smile creeping up on his face. How much difference one day could make. 

Of course, he already knew that.

* * *

“Wakey wakey!” Touko knocked once before barging in. “Time to get ready!”

She yanked the curtains back, letting light flood the room.

N winced and Touya groaned, grabbing a pillow and hurling it in her direction. She watched it flop on the floor at her stocking-covered feet.

“Alright your Royal Grumpiness, that’s enough of that.” She walked over to the bed, where N was sitting up. “See? This one gets the importance of getting up early.” She patted his face. “Very mature.”

“You hate waking up early, you brat,” Touya pointed out.

“What? Can’t hear you over how mature I’m being!” She smirked, grabbing onto N’s arm. “It’s bad luck to see the bride before the ceremony, so I’ll be taking N with me. I suggest you at least look alive when Bianca arrives.”

“Wait, I’m the bride?” N asked. Touko ignored him. 

“See you later big brother!” She made a kissy face at him and marched out of the room, tugging N with her. 

Bianca came minutes after Touko had left, bringing with her a tray of fruit for breakfast. While he ate, she started a bath for him, adding in rose petals, coconut oil, and some essential oils. She shoved him into the bathroom, reminding him not take too long because he had to get dressed after. 

His tuxedo was white, and he knew N’s was black, which had been decided based on which legendary dragon had chosen them. Touya blinked in surprise when he entered the room to find Concordia standing next to the window.

“Hello Prince Touya,” she said, bowing. “I’ve been asked to help you ‘appear presentable’ if you accept.”

“Yes, please do.”

She started by brushing out his unruly hair and styling it into somewhat messy spikes. Next, she patted some concealer underneath his eyes to hide the dark circles from his recent sleepless nights. 

She asked about the wedding preparations and how Touya was feeling. She told him that he wasn’t alone in being stressed about it, and how many nights she worked through to finish the tuxedo. She also told him about N’s house, and the restorations she and Anthea had made. 

“He’d love it,” she said. “We leave the doors open most of the time, and Pokémon like to wander in from the forest. The other morning Anthea woke up to a Sawsbuck in our living room.”

Touya liked Concordia. Her voice was deep and had a mellow, soothing quality to it. She smelled like clean linens and soap, and her hands worked carefully as she slipped on his jacket. 

She finished tying his bow tie and stepped back to admire her handiwork. Her face softened into a proud grin.

“You look magnificent Your Highness.”

She moved to the side so he could look in the mirror. 

Huge brown eyes stared back at him, at his smooth skin and glossy hair. Thank goodness the white tux didn’t wash him out. If he looked this good, he wondered how beautiful N would be.

“I have to go help N get dressed now,” Concordia said, bowing again. “I hope you are happy with the results. It was good to see you again, Prince Touya.” 

The door shut behind him with a gentle click. Touya paced a few laps around the room before collapsing in one of the armchairs. All he could do now was wait until someone, most likely Bianca or Cheren, came to get him.

* * *

When N had walked into the ballroom, Touya had felt all of his fears dissolve into thin air. He remembered how the sight of N had quite literally taken his breath away.

He felt the same way when N walked down the aisle. 

They held the ceremony outside in the Zen Garden. Only friends and family were allowed to attend, to minimize the hassle of the official end of the wedding. Anthea sat with the other musicians, waiting for their cue, and Concordia sat near the front, chatting with Touko.

Touya noticed a funny looking man with blonde hair and a long white coat in the back row of chairs. _Huh, I’ve never seen him before,_ he thought. _Maybe N invited him._

When the music began, everyone got to their feet. 

Touya was pretty sure his heart stopped when he saw N. N grinned when he locked eyes with Touya, and Touya nearly fell over. 

N appeared fresh and radiant, like the sun shone from within him. Someone had had the great idea to arrange little white flowers in his hair, which was pulled back in its usual low ponytail. He looked like some kind of forest deity who’d risen from the soil to grace the kingdom with his presence. 

The ceremony went by in a blur. It wasn’t until N was sliding the ring onto Touya’s finger, and the wedding officiant said “You may now kiss your husband” that Touya returned to Earth. He leaned in and kissed N, feeling N’s smile against his lips.

For the reception, which was open to the entire kingdom, Queen Luciana ordered that the doors be opened to allow people to come and go as they please. 

“I’d say this day was a success,” Touya said, later, when the sun had disappeared beneath the horizon, and the moon cast a pale gleam in the night sky. 

“I agree.” N scanned the room, until his gaze fell upon Anthea at the piano in the ballroom surrounded by the small ensemble of other musicians. “Stay here. I’ll be right back.” 

Touya watched as N walked over to Anthea and whispered something in her ear. She nodded, eyes illuminated with excitement, then passed it on to the rest of the ensemble. She turned back to N, giving him some kind of confirmation, and he walked quickly back to Touya. 

“What was that all about?” he asked.

“I had a song request for her, that I want us to dance to.” N slipped one hand into Touya’s. “I’ve been practicing with Burgh.”

After a few seconds, Anthea’s voice floated through the air, joined by the accompaniment. 

_“So this is love. So this is love. So this is what makes life divine.”_

“She’s really good,” Touya said. 

“Yeah. Ghetsis didn’t let her sing in the house, which is a shame, but her voice is one of my favorite things ever.”

_“I’m all aglow. And now I know, the key to all heaven is mine.”_

Touya laughed as N twirled him, then pulled him back close to him. 

_“My heart has wings. And I can fly. I’ll touch every star in the sky.”_

“You know, this is how I felt the first time I saw you,” Touya said. 

N’s eyes widened and his cheeks flushed an adorable shade of pink, similar to the blooming carnations in the garden. “I-I… No one’s ever said anything that nice to me. Or about me.”

“Well guess what mister.” Touya grinned. “We’re married now, so get used to it.” 

_“So this is the miracle that I’ve been dreaming of. So this is love.”_ Anthea’s voice faded away and the piano music carried on, repeating the melody without the vocals. 

The song was perfect for them. Touya, though he loved his family and the people working in the castle, had felt a sort of loneliness that he didn’t know how to fix. He’d walked around the spotless marble hallways and tidy rooms, off put by the perfection of the environment. 

The castle had seemed more like a sacred building, rather than a place for a child to run and play and be noisy (not that he’d been allowed to do those things). For the longest time he’d grown up missing a part of himself, but his life had changed course when he met N.

N, who could not have had a more different childhood than him. Who connected with Pokémon on a level that no one else could. Who fell into Touya’s life like a shooting star from the heavens.

“Excuse me! Ah, there you are!” A man pushed his way through the jam-packed room of people. It was the man Touya had noticed right before the ceremony started. 

“Colress!” N gasped. “I didn’t know you were going to be here!” 

“Ah well.” Colress shrugged. “I appear when you least expect it.”

“Touya, this is Colress,” N said. “He’s um… he…”

“Helped N get to the ball,” Colress finished for him. He turned to Touya and bowed his head. “Pleasure to meet you your Highness.”

“I saw you earlier. At the ceremony,” Touya said. “I figured you were here for N. How did you help N?”

Colress noticed N’s eyes dart to his. “I provided him with the things he needed.” 

Touya’s brow furrowed at the odd response, but he decided not to question it. “Well I’d like to express my gratitude. Meeting N was some sort of miracle.”

“Yeah. A miracle.” The corner of Colress’ mouth lifted. He patted N’s shoulder. “Anyways, I thought I’d just drop by. Congratulations you two. Remember, as long as you believe, life will always be magical.”

* * *

N flopped down onto their bed. The reception had gone late into the night, and after getting ready for bed, both him and Touya were exhausted. Tomorrow they were going to see the coast with Red and Green, but right now, they needed some sleep.

“I can’t feel my feet,” N said into the sheets.

Touya slid under the covers and laid on his side facing the middle of the bed. “Come here,” he said patting the mattress beside him. 

N pushed himself up and dragged himself over to Touya. Touya pressed a kiss to the top of N’s head. 

“Did your parents read you bedtime stories?” Touya asked.

“My mom did the reading, but my dad liked to sit in and listen.”

“Can I tell you a story?”

“Of course.”

“Once upon a time, there was an anxious prince.” N could hear the smile in his voice. “The prince was afraid because one day he’d have to take on a lot of big responsibilities and he thought that he would have to do it alone. One miraculous night, the prince met a wonderful young man with a heart of pure gold. The man made the prince forget about his fears, and the prince knew that he was special. But the young man disappeared and the prince was sad. He searched all over the kingdom, almost giving up, when another miracle led him right to him. After that, the prince stopped being terrified of one day having to sit in the throne because there was no one he’d rather be with than the young man. And although the prince couldn’t predict the future, he had a pretty good idea of how the story ended.”

Touya paused for dramatic effect. 

“What is it?” N murmured, eyes closed. 

“They lived happily ever after.”

**Author's Note:**

> tumblr @[sunshineeforthesoul](https://sunshineeforthesoul.tumblr.com/)


End file.
